14: A Grueling Morning

The young Slytherins settled into their dorms, with boys being assigned to rooms of two or three. Nolan Von Draugr found himself placed in a triple room alongside Malcolm Baddock, who had wet his pants on the Hogwarts Express, and the slender-faced Miles Bletchley.

Malcolm seemed like he wanted to say something to his roommates, but Miles sneered and whispered to Nolan, "Did you know that the great Malcolm Baddock wet his pants on the train after being scared by the red-haired Weasley twins?"

Malcolm's face turned pale instantly. He looked to Nolan with a pleading expression, hoping his other roommate might come to his defense.

But Nolan, indifferent as ever, replied calmly, "It's true. I was there when it happened."

Miles glanced disdainfully at Malcolm, then muttered loudly enough for everyone to hear, "We're so unlucky to be sharing a dorm with a bed-wetter."

Malcolm went silent, unpacking his belongings in somber quiet. If one looked closely, they could see his hands trembling slightly—a pitiful sight.

Nolan watched him for a moment before asking, "You seem frail. Would you like some warm milk before bed? I'm sure the house-elves would be happy to oblige."

Malcolm mumbled, "No, thank you." His voice was so faint it was nearly inaudible.

Miles, meanwhile, busied himself decorating their dorm with various items. Among them were miniature figurines of famous Quidditch players, who zoomed around a palm-sized pitch, casting glittering stars into the air with their wands. He also displayed his collection of famous wizard cards, which were meticulously sorted and hung above his bed. The wizards depicted on the cards occasionally looked down at Miles with disdain or vanished into other cards to have whispered conversations, a rather unsettling sight.

Nolan picked up one card featuring a red-haired girl named Libera. She seemed delighted when she noticed Nolan holding her card, blowing kisses toward him repeatedly.

At that moment, Miles was fretting over a poster in his hands.

"Oh, Nolan," Miles said, noticing the card. "If you're a fan of Libera, you can keep that card. I have several duplicates. By the way, would you mind if I hung up something Muggle-related on the wall?"

Malcolm, overhearing the word "Muggle," seemed visibly upset, but, feeling powerless in the dorm dynamics, he said nothing.

Nolan, of course, didn't mind. He gave Miles permission, and the latter eagerly hung up his poster. It was of a beautiful woman who smiled radiantly in black-and-white.

The poster had been enchanted so the woman could move, though her movements were clunky, suggesting the spellcaster's skill wasn't particularly advanced.

"She's beautiful," Nolan remarked softly. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Audrey Hepburn," Miles replied. "Dad says she's the most beautiful woman in the world. Mom had a fight with him over it."

"Your father has excellent taste," Nolan said.

Miles grinned. "He's a Muggle. His dream was to marry Hepburn, even though she was already older by then… until he met my mom."

Miles spoke dreamily but suddenly turned to Nolan with a nervous glance. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Mind what?"

"That I'm… well, a half-blood."

"No, I don't mind," Nolan replied coolly. "In fact, I have no reason to."

Miles beamed with relief and excitement. "Are you a half-blood too?"

Nolan hesitated. He wasn't even a half-blood; in truth, his lineage was far more ancient and pure than any wizard's.

Miles interpreted his pause as agreement and grew even happier, while Malcolm grew more agitated. He couldn't believe he'd ended up in Slytherin only to share a dorm with two half-bloods!

Frustrated, Malcolm pulled the covers over his head and shut himself off from the world. Neither Miles nor Nolan seemed to care much about him, though, so his sulking went largely unnoticed.

The next morning, Nolan was rudely awakened.

"Wake up, Nolan! If you don't get up now, we're going to miss the corned beef and grilled Italian sausages for breakfast! Our first class is Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall, and I'm not about to be late on the first day!" Miles Bletchley yelled enthusiastically right by Nolan's ear.

Truth be told, the little vampire wasn't a morning person. His energy typically surged at night.

Nolan could go a whole month without sleep, but once he did lie down, he hated being disturbed.

"Why doesn't Hogwarts provide coffins for us? I can't believe you all sleep so soundly on regular beds," Nolan silently grumbled as he sluggishly got up and began dressing. He glanced at the third bed, now empty. "Where's Malcolm?"

"He left by himself!" Miles complained, his tone filled with annoyance. "That antisocial coward!"

On their way to the Great Hall, Miles practically had to drag Nolan along. He was still half-asleep, barely able to keep his eyes open.

By the time they arrived, most of the Slytherin students were already eating. Miles and Nolan were the last to arrive.

Eve trotted over to Nolan with a sweet smile. "Good morning, Nolan."

"Morning… morning…" Nolan mumbled half-heartedly, slumping over the table like a dehydrated dog. Through half-lidded eyes, he noticed that Felicia, seated at the staff table, was sprawled out in a similarly undignified manner.

Professor Sprout and a few others exchanged surprised glances. It was hard for them to reconcile the image of such a poised and stunning witch behaving so sloppily.

Professor McGonagall, who was in the know, handed Felicia a special goblet of "tomato juice." She accepted it with a tearful expression, like a stray cat being offered food. She downed it in one go, reminiscent of a tipsy reveler.

Eve offered Nolan a spoonful of mashed potatoes, but he clamped his mouth shut and shook his head vehemently, making it impossible for her to feed him. Undeterred, she switched to a sausage, but the result was the same.

"I don't eat that…" he muttered vaguely.

From his high-backed chair, Dumbledore watched the sibling duo with amused eyes. Chuckling, he turned to Snape beside him. "It seems the Von Draugr family, like other bloodlines of their kind, struggles with sunlight and mornings. Perhaps this will put your mind at ease, Severus."

Nolan ended up being carried to the Transfiguration classroom, flanked by Miles on his left and Eve on his right.

"I've never seen someone sleep so much… I'm guessing his Animagus form is a sloth!", Miles panted heavily after depositing Nolan onto a seat.

"Maybe he was too excited to sleep properly last night!", Eve suggested in his defense, fussing over Nolan to make his slouched posture look more comfortable and dignified.

Miles shook his head. "I don't think Nolan's the kind of guy who gets excited about school."